Tag Archive for: #hendersoncitycouncil

City Council Adopts Social Media Policy In Special Called Meeting Wednesday

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In a special called meeting Wednesday afternoon, the Henderson City Council unanimously adopted a policy regarding the use of social media.

Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS News that the city has a social media policy for employees, but it does not apply to the city’s elected officials – the mayor and members of the City Council.

Adoption of the policy was the sole agenda item for the 3 p.m. meeting. The meeting was short, with no discussion or comments on the matter before the vote was taken. Council members Sara Coffey and Sam Seifert were not present.

The policy, just more than two pages in length, spells out best practices and suggestions for elected officials about the use of social media, including personal emails, and “liking” and forwarding posts on social media platforms.

The policy lists eight Professional and Personal Conduct Standards that range from expectations that officials follow the City’s policies and standards to reminding officials “should be honest and accurate when posting information or news, and should quickly correct any mistakes, misstatements and/or factual errors in content upon discovery. Officials should not post or share information to be false about the City, its employees, constituents, other public officials, suppliers, vendors, or contractors.”

Additionally, the policy contains eight additional best practices and guidelines for elected officials that are “strongly recommended to ensure that the personal and professional use of social media by elected and appointed officials is done in a responsible manner.”

“Other municipalities around the state have adopted social media policies specific to Councils, Boards and Commissions,” Blackmon stated in an email response to WIZS Wednesday.

“The policy Council is looking to adopt today is very similar to one that was adopted by the City of Durham which is considered a ‘model’ policy,” he continued, adding that the policy Council will review was developed with the assistance of the Mayor and City Attorney.

Blackmon said, “There is technically no violation by any member at this time,” and went on to say that the adopted policy “is not designed to be punitive, but to provide direction and guidance. However, violation of the policy could result in the code of conduct being invoked.”

City Council Votes To Hike Property Tax Rate To 65 Cents Per $100 Valuation

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It was not a unanimous decision, but the Henderson City Council voted to increase the property tax rate per $100 valuation to 65 cents at its Monday meeting, just before adopting the FY 2024-25 budget totaling more than $47 million.

In the budget recommended by City Manager Terrell Blackmon on May 13, the tax rate was 55 cents per $100 valuation, which was 10 cents above the revenue-neutral rate. The new property tax rate is 20 cents above the revenue-neutral rate.

Council Member Tami Walker made the motion to increase the tax, which she said would bring in more than $2.5 million in additional tax revenue. Council Member Ola Thorpe-Cooper seconded the motion. Council members Sam Seifert and Garry Daeke cast no votes, and Council members Lamont Noel, Michael Venable, Geraldine Champion, Sara Coffey voted yes with Walker and Thorpe-Cooper.

Thorpe-Cooper made a motion to accept the budget, which totals $47,827,763.

The motion was seconded by Coffey, who joined via Zoom. In addition to Thorpe-Cooper and Coffey, yes votes were case by Seifert, Venable, Walker and Champion.

Daeke and Noel cast dissenting votes.

In another split decision, Council voted 5-3 to accept a $1,500 bonus for each Council member – already included in the recommended budget. The matter had been discussed in earlier budget work sessions, but Daeke and Seifert said they recalled that the money was to be used to pay for training.

Mayor Melissa Elliott insisted that the sum was called a bonus, which, if offered as such, couldn’t have stipulations for its use.

Council Member Venable made a motion, seconded by Champion, to provide a $1,500 bonus to all Council members. Noel, Seifert and Daeke voted no. Coffey, Venable, Thorpe-Cooper, Champion and Walker voted yes.

In a unanimous vote, Council members voted to proceed with the purchase of the Falkner property that is owned by McGregor Hall. The sale price is $255,000 plus closing costs, but the budget line item is for $275,000, Blackmon stated.

Council Members Split On Funding For McGregor Hall

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As members of the Henderson City Council continued budget deliberations at a work session Monday, they found themselves in lockstep to help displaced families find more permanent housing, but far apart on providing financial support for McGregor Hall.

The Council approved giving $2,000 to 22 families who had to move out of the Motel 121 in early May because it was deemed uninhabitable by inspectors.

Since then, five of the 27 families have found other places to live with help from Vaya Health, leaving 22 families – with 47 children – living in motels in Vance and Granville counties.

State money that has been paying for lodging is running out, and the families face being homeless again without some intervention.

“Twenty-two families, as of tomorrow, are going to be homeless again,” said City Manager Terrell Blackmon during the budget work session.

According to Mayor Melissa Elliott, the bill so far is roughly $144,000 in motel bills.

It would cost close to $40,000 to keep them in their current situation until the end of the month, she said.

After some discussion, the Council agreed to pay the $2,000 voucher to all 22 families and then request that the county reimburse the city for half. That way, the city will end up paying for 11 families and the county would pick up the other 11.

It was unclear when the vouchers would be distributed, where the money would come from or whether the families would be allowed to stay in their current lodging after check-out time Tuesday.

Elliott acknowledged that $2,000 is “not a lot of money to relocate…(but) we have to start somewhere.”

Blackmon said he and County Manager C. Renee Perry had been in communication about the situation, and he said that the feeling is the county would be open to help pay for the vouchers.

“I don’t think they’ll leave us hanging out there on this,” he told the council.

In further discussion, some Council members asked whether there are funds set aside in the budget for providing emergency housing.

Blackmon said there may be funds to provide temporary housing for people whose homes are being repaired with community development block grant funding, but he doesn’t think there is a pot of money that would help in situations like the one at Motel 121.

“This exercise, although unexpected, has shown us that we really don’t have the structure to accommodate and help families a little bit longer,” Blackmon said.

Geraldine Champion said she didn’t want anyone to go through what the families living at Motel 121 have gone through.

“We need to do something and we need to be proactive,” she said.

One option that came up is a shelter for displaced families that could operate in the city.

Blackmon said there typically is more funding available for programs than for brick and mortar projects. “We need to figure out how we can get that type of facility in the city,” he said.

The recommended budget, which totals roughly $45 million, could be adopted as early as June 10. Just as the recommended budget presented to Council in early May didn’t have any money designated for emergency housing, neither did it provide any funding for McGregor Hall.

At last night’s work session, two motions failed that would have provided substantial money to the performing arts venue – Garry Daeke’s first motion was for the full request of $75,000. That failed 5-2, with only Daeke and Council Member Sam Seifert voting in favor.

Daeke followed up with a motion, also seconded by Seifert, to provide $60,000. That motion failed, too. Commissioners Geraldine Champion, Sara Coffey, Ola Thorpe-Cooper, Michael Venable and Tami Walker voted no.

Council Member Lamont Noel was absent.

McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper – who is the venue’s only full-time employee – had requested $75,000 from the city and $60,000 from the county in this year’s budget cycle, all of which would be used to retire the mortgage debt. Blackmon said $124,620 in debt service is due in early July each year.

On the heels of the two failed motions, Coffey offered a motion, seconded by Champion, to provide $5,000 to McGregor Hall in the form of a one-year renewable grant, as well as placing a voting member of the council on the McGregor Hall board and to know how the funding would be spent.

“I don’t think $5,000 will get anyone the board,” Daeke said. “I would like to see it fully funded.”

Seifert said, “I can’t agree more with Mr. Daeke…We need economic development here in Henderson, and this right here is a beacon that draws it in,” he said of McGregor Hall. “This is a driver for many different things.”

Plans to purchase property owned by McGregor Hall continue, which would add up to $275,000 to the performing arts venue’s bottom line. Blackmon said there’s a CAF that is ready to be presented at the next meeting.

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TownTalk: City of Henderson Budget Prelim

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Henderson City Council member Garry Daeke has had a couple of days to review and reflect on the 2024-25 budget that was presented Monday by City Manager Terrell Blackmon.

It’s a delicate balance, Daeke said, to create a budget that provides for citizens’ wants and needs – without putting those same citizens in a bind by raising taxes, fees and more.

“I do enjoy the challenge of taking a budget and looking at all the different pieces,” Daeke said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. The cost of those services versus the tax rate is always a balancing act, and it’s one that Council members will begin discussing at a work session on Monday, May 20.

Blackmon’s presentation included details of a $25 million General Fund budget, and a total budget figure of somewhere around $45 million. The 158-page document can be found on the city’s webpage at henderson.nc.gov, under the Departments heading, click on Finance to go directly to the dropdown box where the document is located.  (Or click here as of 5-15-24.)

“The city’s growing,” Daeke said. “We have so many things we’d like to do.” But how to fund those things is what the budget discussion will be about.

Added to the mix is the recent revaluation of properties in the county, which will generate additional revenue for the city in the form of property tax.

A 45-cent per $100 of value would generate the same amount of tax revenue as this year, Daeke said. “We need some increase, I think. I do not think it needs to be 10 cents.”

A 55-cent per $100 value would generate between $4 and 4.5 million, he calculated, and a 65-cent per $100 value would bring in $7 million. He said, however, that he would not vote for a 55-cent tax rate unless he was thoroughly convinced otherwise during the course of the upcoming budget discussions. If the city were to keep the current tax rate of 75 cents per $100, it would generate roughly $10 million.

Generally speaking, overall property values in the city increased about 63 percent since the last revaluation in 2016. That means many property owners will have to pay higher tax bills, maybe a couple of hundred extra dollars, in the city, Daeke noted.

And that, coupled with higher monthly bills like water and sewer, could pose problems for folks who may be struggling to make ends meet as it is. “We have to be cognizant of what people can afford.”

Landlords most likely would have to increase rents to help absorb those rising costs, Daeke said. “It could be a phenomenal amount in a year’s time for people who are struggling to pay their bills.”

Another funding stream comes from sales tax collection, which continues to be strong in the city. “We’ve done well in terms of people staying home and spending money,” he said.

The budget also calls for moving $4 million from the fund balance to offset non-recurring federal ARPA funds. Daeke said there’s “extra” money available because of having unfilled positions within the city.

Once those positions are filled, however, that “extra” money will not be available.

Some of the other items on the expenditure side of the ledger in the future include a new fire station, completion of the park on William Street and housing redevelopment.

“We’ve taken down 300 homes – we need to start putting stuff back,” Daeke said. “That can’t be done without some funding.”

A major contributor to the sales tax coffers is McGregor Hall. Economic impact studies show that the entertainment venue draws people from across the region to see concerts, performances and participate in dance competitions, just to name a few.

Daeke said he would like to see more support for McGregor Hall from local government.

“I believe it’s time to help them stay in business,” he said, noting that there is nothing in the recommended budget at present.

One idea that’s floating around is to purchase the property on which the former Falkner Building Supply once stood. It’s part of the original McGregor family bequest, Daeke said, so McGregor Hall owns it.

“We’d love to purchase that and put a parking area and other businesses there” to create a cash flow for McGregor Hall and to contribute to the economic vitality to the downtown area.

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The Local Skinny! City Council Votes To Keep B-2A Zoning For Businesses, Retail

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After receiving recommendations from a couple of different committees, the Henderson City Council voted unanimously on Monday to deny a request that would have allowed an empty retail space to be turned into a 16-bed “diversion center” for patients in mental health or substance abuse crises.

Back in November, Vaya Health officials told county commissioners that the space formerly occupied by Big Lots! on Dabney Drive was the best option they could find at the best price point. It would require a special use permit from the city, however, since the area is zoned for businesses and not hospitals or sanitoriums.

The matter was referred to the city Planning Board, which initially recommended to approve the special use permit request. But at a special called meeting in January, the City Council expressed concerns and had reservations about moving the project forward and sent it back to the planning committee for further review. The second time, the planning committee offered no recommendation.

So, the planning board reviewed the matter again in February and the Land Planning Committee weighed in as well at a March meeting, recommending the request be denied because the B-2A zoning is designed for businesses, including retail establishments and that any change could be detrimental to existing businesses.

Now, here we are in April, with the matter back before the City Council.

In reviewing the timeline of events, City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the consensus is that feel that an area zoned for business is not well suited for a hospital or sanitorium.

Council members voted unanimously to deny the request.

Vaya is looking for a location that could serve the region that includes Vance, Granville and Franklin counties, and Vaya reps told commissioners in November that they’d pitch in $1.5 million of the total amount necessary to upfit and transform the space, which would be somewhere north of $4.5 million. Vaya is looking for funding from the three counties to support the project.

WIZS previously reported that the main idea for the facility is to help take some of the heat off local hospital emergency rooms, which often aren’t equipped to handle the specific needs of individuals suffering from behavioral and mental health crises.

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The Local Skinny! Council Approves Creation Of Board To Oversee Main Street Program

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The Henderson City Council voted unanimously Monday to create a downtown advisory board that will take responsibility for overseeing the city’s Main Street program.

This action was taken as a way to stay in compliance with the state’s Main Street program, given a decision in March by the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission to divest itself as the active board of directors and committees of the Main Street program effective June 30, 2024, according to information presented Monday by City Manager Terrell Blackmon.

One requirement for continued accreditation is that the program have a board of directors representing district stakeholders and
community members. The new advisory board will consist of between 5 and 7 appointed members who would be selected following an application process.

Blackmon said he has had conversations with state Main Street staff and they are aware of the changes that will be taking place. He added that city staff would continue to work in partnership with the HVDDC, but the city-appointed board would be responsible for the Main Street program.

The Main Street approach is centered around economic development strategies designed to transform the downtown area and revitalize and strengthen the downtown economy. Henderson re-established its Main Street designation in 2020 and uses a four-pronged approach to attain its goals: economic vitality, design, promotion and organization.

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TownTalk: City Council Hears McGregor Hall Presentation

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The Henderson City Council held its regular monthly meeting Monday at McGregor Hall, giving Executive Director Mark Hopper an appropriate backdrop to emphasize the economic impact the performing arts venue has on the community as he asked the city’s elected officials for financial support.

In beginning his remarks, Hopper said he would try to condense six years of work into a 15-minute presentation. Using a multimedia approach, Council members heard from Hopper and saw videos recapping the significance of McGregor Hall in the larger community as well as on the lives of local performers.

With one full-time employee, five part-time employees and 300 volunteers, McGregor Hall has made quick work to become a stand-out venue in the greater Triangle area, Hopper said. McGregor Hall is under the governance of the nonprofit Embassy Cultural Center Foundation.

Through solid local partnerships and dedicated individuals and business sponsors, the venue has been able to accomplish a lot in a short time.

But, Hopper said, without some additional financial support from local government, the curtain likely will fall on McGregor Hall. One quarter of the venue’s total revenue goes to service the mortgage debt.

In a letter to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, and members of the City Council, Hopper outlined McGregor Hall’s needs – he’s asked the  Council for $75,000 to help keep the ship afloat. Hopper would like to get county leaders on board, too.

The cultural and artistic impact may be difficult to put a price tag on, but the most recent economic impact study shows that McGregor Hall has contributed $9.2 million to the local economy over the past four years – $5.1 in lodging bookings alone. McGregor Hall hosted more than 30,000 guests to its rental events, namely in the form of 15 weekends of spring dance competitions.

“What we need is help with our debt service,” Hopper told the City Council. “We will not survive 2025 without support.”

Hopper said that every single dollar of investment to McGregor Hall brings a return of $31 to the community.

About 40 percent of revenues come from ticket sales, which Hopper said is in keeping with the industry standard. Grant funding, rental fees and concessions each kick in 10 percent and 20 percent from local business sponsors.

It would mean a lot for local government leaders to put a price tag on what it means to have a top-notch venue in Henderson and Vance County that draws patrons from the Triangle to southside Virginia – both to watch performances as well as to be on stage for shows.

Hopper said McGregor Hall is helping to change the perception of Henderson and Vance County, one performance at the time.

“We’re bringing people together who otherwise wouldn’t interact on a personal level,” he said.

Following Hopper’s presentation, Council Member Garry Daeke said he hoped the full council would consider the request for funding as it continues through the budget process and “look at it in an affirmative manner.”

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City Council Approves Creation of IT Specialist Job For Henderson Police Department

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Police officers have access to various types of technology that helps them with their investigations, which is good. But all that technology brings with it its own challenges.

“We have a lot of computers, servers and a lot of electronics,” said Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. Some are connected to federal databases; others are connected to state or local databases. Then there’s the cloud-based systems versus those that rely on servers to run properly and store information.

“We’ve limped through information technology for quite some time now,” Barrow said on Monday’s TownTalk.

But at their March meeting, the Henderson City Council approved a request from Barrow that will take steps at addressing the need to keep all that computer equipment in the “asset” category and not in the “liability” category.

City staff recommend using funds allocated in the budget for one parking enforcement officer ($31,200) and one police officer ($51,330) and create a new position called Police Information Technology Specialist, with a salary range of $63,915 and $95,871. The city currently has 10 vacant sworn officer positions and one vacant parking enforcement position.

“We’re outfitting these officers with the best technology available,” Barrow said, and it’s critical to have someone with experience manage it than someone who’s just learning about its capabilities.

“We’ve got to have a professional do it,” he said.

TownTalk: City Council Addresses Attendance Policy

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At its March meeting Monday evening, the Henderson City Council voted 6-2 to adopt a policy concerning attendance at council meetings. At issue, among other things, was what constitutes an excused absence versus an unexcused absence and just how – and who – would decide which was which.

The proposed wording didn’t include “work” in the excused list, and it did include the 12 set monthly meeting dates – already on the calendar – as well as any “special called meetings,” which aren’t on the calendar ahead of time.

After a lot of back-and-forth discussion, Council member Ola Thorpe-Cooper made a motion, seconded by Council member Michael Venable to approve the attendance policy, with a revision that excludes the special called meeting wording.

Joining Cooper and Venable with yes votes were Council members Geraldine Champion, Garry Daeke, Sam Seifert and Tami Walker; Council members Lamont Noel and Sara Coffey voted against the motion.

According to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, the policy review came out of the council’s recent strategic planning session. As it stands now, council members aren’t supposed to miss four meetings in a single calendar year.

However, if they are unable to attend a meeting in person, they can join virtually and cast votes remotely, as long as their absence is considered an “excused” absence.

Noel did not agree that fellow council members be the deciding body to determine whether an absence is excused or unexcused; individual council members are supposed to inform the clerk when they know they will be absent.

Mayor Melissa Elliott offered an example to the group, saying that she had been able to vote when she was out of town for work, but she was not able to vote when she joined virtually while on vacation.

The council agreed to fall back to Robert’s Rules of Order and handle the absences procedurally when the roll is called at each council meeting, at which time the clerk would inform the council of the reason for a member’s absence.

Discussion about special called meetings included comments from Council member Noel, who said those meetings, usually held during normal business hours, shouldn’t be part of the attendance policy.

“Some of us are working,” he said.

Daeke acknowledged that daytime meetings “may be a bit much for some folks.” He said he used 42 hours of vacation time last year alone to satisfy council attendance policies. “Not everybody has that capability,” he said.

 

 

The Local Skinny! Council Tables Formation Of Separate Main Street Advisory Board

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The Henderson City Council discussed forming a separate advisory board to support Main Street Director Tracy Madigan in her efforts as a city employee to ensure that the city doesn’t jeopardize its designation in the national program, but decided to table a decision until council learns more about the job description and purpose of the board.

Council member Garry Daeke asked City Manager Terrell Blackmon for more information about the formation of the advisory board, as well as what its job would be and how it would complement or coordinate with the Henderson-Vance County Downtown Development Commission, a nonprofit formed in 1986 to support and promote downtown revitalization efforts.

In a follow-up email to WIZS, Daeke said he believes the timing is so that the city will increase its funding to the program as budget decisions are being made. “I just wanted something that explained this “new” committee, and how it is different from present DDC,” Daeke said in the email, adding that he would like to have clearly defined roles and a program description before the council makes any decisions.

“The Main Street Program belongs to the city, not the DDC,” Blackmon told Council members Monday. As a city employee, Madigan is charged with making sure the city follows the Main Street guidelines.

Blackmon said Henderson regained its Main Street community designation, and since that time, “we’ve been utilizing the Henderson DDC as a vehicle for meeting a lot of the Main Street requirements.”

But the Main Street program belongs to the city, not to the DDC, he added.

Having a separate 5-7 member advisory committee would not preclude coordination with the DDC, but Blackmon said it would focus on the core categories that the national program requires for designation as a Main Street City.

“The DDC is a great partner,” Blackmon said.

Madigan told council members the city is looking at having a little more focus and control over a program that it funds and oversees.

The city budget allocates $25,000 to the Main Street project administration, with an additional $1,500 from the county. Fundraisers like the Festival of Trees event during December are events that add to the bottom line.

Madigan said a board would address an increased volunteer presence with the Main Street program, but the biggest struggle remains funding, which is a key point in Main Street guidelines.

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